Boat leveling construction



51m@ 20, l967 F. T. KERCHEVAL 3,32,64

BOAT LEVELING CONSTRUCTION Filed July 2, 1965 United States Patent Oflce 3,3%,l64 Patented June 20, 1967 3,326,164 BGAT LEVELING CONSTRUCTIGN Frank T. Kercheval, 530 N. Hills Drive, St. Louis, Mo. 63121 Filed July 2, 1965, Ser. No. 469,177 3 Claims. (Cl. 114-665) The present invention relates generally to the art of boating, and more particularly to a novel electric hydraulic controlled boat leveler construction.

The use of inboard and outboard motor craft goes back many years. It has long been known that as the speed of the craft increases, the greater becomes the tendency of the nose to ride out of the water subjecting the occupants to the battering of the waves, if any, and to the wind, resulting in uncomfortable riding. Various means have been tried, mostly without success of any duration, to provide a level ride in a motor boat. There has long been a need of a stabilizer construction which can be readily controlled under power to effectively position tabs or stabilizers, yet which is small enough in bulk to t within even a small boat without inoon'veniencing the passengers. Economy has been another desired factor.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a novel electric hydraulic controlled and actuated boat leveler construction which fulfills the long-felt need.

In brief, the present novel boat leveler construction and control comprises a pair of substantially rigid tabs or stabilizers which are adapted to be secured to the rear of the boat along the 'bottom rear edge thereof. Each tab includes a rear flange or brake for attachment of one end of a cylinder unit and a brake along each end for rigidity. The cylinders are fluid-actuated to move the tabs downwardly against the water and are spring-returned. For lluid actuation of the cylinders, there is provided a compact electro-hydraulic unit including a pump, electric motor for driving the same, an oil reservoir, a solenoid valve for each line, switches, and essential connecting fluid lines and electric leads.

Hence, another object is to provide a novel boat leveler construction which may be readily installed upon an inboard or outboard motor boat in a short period of time to accomplish the objectives sought.

Another object is to provide a novel boat leveler construction which requires only a small space for the operating7 parts and which includes operating mechanism which can be mounted in out of the way places interiorly of the boat.

Another object is to provide a novel boat leveler construction including substantially rigid tabs which can be positioned quickly and smoothly as required in the movement of the boat through the waters to maintain it in a level position to insure a smooth ride.

Another object is to provide a novel boat leveler construction which is relatively inexpensive, which will function over a long period of time with minimum maintenance, which is of rugged construction insuring long service, which requires minimum instructions for installation on a boat and for satisfactory actuation thereof after installation, and which otherwise fulills the objects and advantages sought therefor.

The foregoing and other objects and advantages are apparent from the following description taken with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a schematic layout of the electrical hydraulic system forming part of the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a side elevational view of the compact actuating mechanism for moving the tabs into operative positions;

FIGURE 3 is an eleVati-onal View of the cylinder unit;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged, vertical cross-sectional View taken on substantially the line 4 4 of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 5 is a rear View of a small boat illustrating the tabs mounted thereon and in raised positions;

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary, vertical, longitudinal cross-sectional View taken on substantially the line 6 6 of FIGURE 5;

FIGURE 7 is -an isometric view of a representative tab or stabilizer;

FIGURE 8 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line 8 8 of FIGURE 7; and

FIGURE 9 is a View of a tab mounted upon a shim or block employed to position the tab properly, a portion being broken away for conservation of space.

Referring to the drawings more p-articularly by reference numerals, 10 indicates generally a boat leveler construction incorporating the teachings of the present invention. It is to be understood that all of the several parts of the drawings pertain to the construction 10, it being diflicult to incorporate all in a single view. Bro-adly, the construction 10 includes tabs or stabilizers 12, cylinder units 14, a power unit 16, a double electric switch 18, and connecting fluid lines and electrical leads.

Each tab or stabilizer 12 comprises a plate 2i) having a transverse flange 22 which may be of substantially forty-live degrees, and flanges 24 along the ends which may be at an angle of fifteen degrees and which contribute to greater stability. rl`he plate 20 is secured to one part of a hinged mounting bracket 26. It is clear from FIGURES 5 and 6 that the free portion of the mounting bracket is adapted to be secured to the back of a boat 28 by suitable screws, or the like, along the bottom edge of the boat 28. In FIGURE 9, mounting bracket 26 is shown screwed to a shim or block 3@ which is employed when the back of the boat 28 is curved forwardly in order to properly position the tab 12.

Each cylinder unit 14 includes a cylinder 32 having a threadedly engaging closure plug 34 at one end and a threadedly engaging closure plug 36 at the other end. Extending through the closure plug 36 in sealed relation therewith is a ram or piston 38 about the inner end of which is a neoprene O-ring 4l) which is maintained in position between two washers 42 by a nut 44 threaded on a reduced portion of the ram 38. A heavy compression spring 46 the capacity of which depends upon the particular installation, surrounds the ram 38 between the plug member 36 and the lower washer 42. The spring 46 returns the ram 38 to the position of FIGURE 4 when hydraulic pressure is released. A bracket 48 is pivotally connected to the lower end of the ram 38 exteriorly of the cylinder 32. Similarly, a bracket Sll is pivotally connected to the upper end of the plug member 34. As is clear from FIGURES 5 and 6, the brackets 48 are secured by suitable bolts to the flanges 22 of the tabs 12 and the brackets 50 are secured by suitable bolts or screws to the back of the boat 28. It will be noted that the plug member 34 has a fluid passage 52 therethrough for a purpose described below.

The power unit 16 comprises a l2-volt high speed enclos-ed motor 54, a high speed gear rotor driven pump 56 operatively connected to the motor 54, producing tive hundred pound pressure, or whatever is required to actuate the tabs 12. Leading from the pump 56 is a brass tube fitting or pipe segment 58 which connects with a T-titting 60 which is connected by fittings 62 and 64 with electric solenoid check valves 66 and 68, respectively. The check valve 66 is connected by a iluid line 7l] to one cylinder unit 14 and the check valve 68 is connected by a iluid tube 72 to the other cylinder unit 14. Normally, the power unit 16 is mounted on a board for convenience, since it is a simple matter to attach such a board to any suitable part of the boat 28 out of the way of personnel. In FIG- URE 6, the power unit 16 is illustrated as mounted on the side of the boat 28 by a strap bracket 74 which is adequate for this purpose.

The switch unit 18 includes a panel 76 and two switches 78 and 80 of the momentary on-off type, each switch 78 and 80 being biased to a central neutral position when not held in on or off positions. A lead 82 connects the switch 78 with the solenoid 66 and the lead 84 connects the switch 80 with the solenoid 68 as is clear from FIG- URE 1. A lead 86 connects the switch 80 with the motor 54 and the lead 88 connects the switches 78 and 80 and the circuit into the positive terminal of the battery 90 of the boat 28. A lead 92 connects the motor to ground.

In operation of the present boat leveler construction 10, it is readily appreciated from the foregoing that the tabs 12 are electro-hydraulically actuated into selected operative positions, independently or separately, by the switch unit 18. Once positioned, the tabs 12 are maintained in selected positions by the electric solenoid check valves 66 and 68 which retain the fluid in the lines 70 and 72, and in the top of the cylinders 32 above the neoprene O-rings 40. Should it be desired to return the tabs 12 to inoperative positions, the switches 78 and 80 are moved to the upper positions, whereupon the solenoids 66 and 68 are deenergized and the heavy compression springs 46 move the rams 38 into substantially the position of FIGURE 4, thereby raising the tabs 12 to the full line positions of FIGURE 6 and returning the uid in the upper end of the cylinder units 14 in major part back to the oil reservoir 57.

It is apparent that there has `been provided a novel boat leveler construction which fulfills the objects and advantages sought therefor.

It is to be understood that the foregoing description and the accompanying drawings have been given by way 4 of illustration and example. It is also to be understood that changes in form of the elements, rearrangement of parts, and substitution of equivalent elements, which will be obvious to those skilled in the art, are contemplated as within the scope of the present invention which is limited only by the claims which follow.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination, an electro-hydraulic boat leveling construction comprising movable leveling tabs, means for mounting said tabs on the rear of a boat, piston means mountable at the rear of a boat and operatively engageable with said tabs, a compact integrated electro-hydraulic power unit for moving said tabs against water action and maintaining them in desired positions installable inside a boat including a pump, an electric motor for driving said pump, an oil reservoir, hydraulic lines, and solenoid valves for control of oil in the hydraulic lines, and switch means for actuating said unit.

2. The combination of claim 1 in which said piston means includes strong springs adapted to move said tabs to inoperative positions upon de-energization of said power unit.

3. The combination of claim 2 in which each tab includes a main body member having a strengthening flange at each end.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,855,076 4/1932 Warner 114-665 3,046,928 7/ 1962 Sherrill 14A-66.5 3,177,837 4/1965 Sherill 1441-665 MILTON BUCHLER, Primary Examiner.

ANDREW H. FARRELL, Examiner. 

1. IN COMBINATION, AN ELECTRO-HYDRUALIC BOAT LEVELING CONSTRUCTION COMPRISING MOVABLE LEVELING TABS, MEANS FOR MOUNTING SAID TABS ON THE REAR OF A BOAT, PISTON MEANS MOUTABLE AT THE REAR OF A BOAT AND OPERATIVELY ENGAGEABLE WITH SAID TABS, A COMPACT INTEGRATED ELECTRO-HYDRAULIC POWER UNIT FOR MOVING SAID TABS AGAINST WATER ACTION AND MAINTAINING THEM IN DESIRED POSITIONS INSTALLABLE INSIDE A BOAT INCLUDING A PUMP, AN ELECTRIC MOTOR FOR DRIVING SAID PUMP, AN OIL RESERVOIR, HYDRAULIC LINES, AND SOLENOID VALVES FOR CONTROL OF OIL IN THE HYDRAULIC LINES, AND SWITCH MEANS FOR ACTUATING SAID UNIT. 